Rover: Some Needs

A track from the recent Rover album Let it Glow, featuring German actress/model Diane Kruger.

Some Needs features of Rover's second album, which was released in November last year. The track has something of a mid 70s David Bowie classiness to it.

It follows the song Call My Name as a single.

The album meanwhile has been critically acclaimed, and has been nominated for a Victoires de la Musique award for Best Rock Album, we should find out on Friday how it gets on.

Rover is touring across France at the moment, with dates going on until May, and plays a show at the Olympia in Paris on March 24.

Christine and the Queens feat Booba: Here

A much anticipated video of the track Here by Christine and the Queens featuring rapper Booba.

A strange and cinematic clip of the seemingly unlikley pair on a car, as the sea gradually comes in, the camera moving past the singer and rapper and focusing on the horizon.

It was shot in Normandy near Trouville, although the grey skies suggest it wasn't quite peak season when it was shot.

The track is a version of the song that appeared in the Christine and the Queens Chaleur Humaine album.

Both Booba and Christine are shortlisted for awards in this year's Victoires de la Musique awards at the end of this week, Christine having dominated the ceremony last year.

Christine plays a sold-out show at Koko in London on March 15, before she embarks on live dates across North America including shows at the Coachella festival in California.

Festival: Les Francofolies

With the torrent of festival details emerging in recent weeks,  I can't overlook this year's Les Francofolies
event, taking place this summer in La Rochelle.

It's always an event that puts the spotlight on french acts, and this year is no exception. There are over 100 shows taking place across the town at a variety of stages, from the intimate to the large scale, with a range of acts from the emergint artists to the established stars.

This year the big names include Les Insus, Louise Attaque as well as Maitre Gims. Also on the bill are Mika, Nekfeu, Louane and Caravan Palace, while Lilly Wood and the Prick and Madeon are the latest names to be added.

Les Francofolies takes place on July 13-17.

Shake Shake Go: England Skies (C à vous)

A live appearance on French evening TV show C à vous for Shake Shake Go, and act that we've featured here a few times over the past year.

They may be London based, but with a partially French line-up they certainly qualify for a mention here.

The band released their debut album at the end of last month, and have a series of dates across France next month.

Last week saw a special free showcase gig in Paris at the Montparnasse branch of Fnac, they're back in Paris for a gig at La Cigale on May 10.

Alain Souchon, Nolwenn Leroy and Carla Bruni: 2 générations chantent pour la 3ème

A new track has to promote a special charity concert later this month featuring some of the biggest names in French music.

The song Vole comes ahead of a special concert at the Olympia in Paris benefitting dementia charity L'Association pour la Recherche sur Alzheimer.

The event - entitled  2 générations chantent pour la 3ème - takes place on February 15 and will feature Brigitte as well as Carla Bruni, Nolwenn Leroy as well as Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy and others.

Festival: Solidays 2016

Another day, another French summer festival confirms details of what is on the bill, with Solidays in Paris coming under the spotlight.

Solidays has become a key festival for a Paris-based audience, an event focussing on solidarity in the fight against Aids at its core.

This summer the Longchamp racetrack takes on a Californian Summer of Love theme, and  plays host to M83, Cypress Hill and Louise Attaque, alongside Jain, Synapson and Flume.

More acts will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Solidays is held this year from June 24-26, and tickets go on sale on February 10.



Solidays 2016 by solidays

Festival: Vieilles Charrues 2016

Some more very significant additions to the bill of this year's Vieilles Charrues festival in Carhaix, Brittany, in
July.

The Pixies and Lana Del Rey have been added to the haedline slots, with Pixies at the top of the bill on the second night, Lana Del Tey on the final night.

The two previosuly annouced headliners are Les Insus (the former members of Téléphone) and Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy.

Also confirmed today are Jeanne Added, Synapson and Denez Prigent.

It's a festival that's always had a strong representation from French performers, as well as some of the best international acts.

Also on the bill this year are Lou Doillon and Hyphen Hyphen, neither strangers to this blog, while Flavien Berger was added today.

More acts are yet to be confirmed, but given what has been confirmed so far it looks like an event well worth the 148E pass for four days. A bargain by the standard of UK festival prices.

This year's Vieilles Charrues festival is held on July 14, 15, 16 and 17 in Carhaix.